Firearm safety is an important issue to persons who are involved in carrying and using firearms. Generally safe handling of firearms consists of proper education, training, and practice in the use, cleaning, and storage of firearms. However, concerns have recently been raised regarding the accessibility of firearms to unauthorized persons, such as children who are living at the home of a firearm owner or visiting such homes. Several legislatures have enacted statutes requiring firearm owners to keep firearms away from children. The purpose is to prevent accidental deaths and injuries to persons arising from the accidental discharge of a firearm by a child.
As a mechanism for reducing the number of such accidental shootings, police agencies are also being required to issue gun locks to officers carrying firearms. The use of the gun lock is mandated for securing the firearm from being fired, particularly while the officer is off-duty at home. The gun lock prevents accidental discharge of the secured firearm and thereby prevent injuries to persons, and prevents unauthorized persons, especially children, from accidently operating the firearm.
Various types of gun locks have been developed to provide a securing device for guns for owners wishing to secure the firearms from being fired accidentally. Among these are devices that engage the muzzle, that engage the trigger guard, and that restrict the slide of a handgun from movement. For example, one device provides a safety strap having a contoured opening which fits snugly over the hammer. The hammer is moved to a cocked position and distal ends of the strap are drawn tightly around the upper portion of the handle of the pistol and around the front of the trigger guard. The free ends of the straps overlap and are snapped together with snap fasteners.
Another quick-release safety device for revolvers has a block that is inserted within the muzzle of a handgun. A strap extends behind the hammer and has extending arms that receive a cap. The cap engages the muzzle block. The strap prevents the hammer from being retracted. Another similar device for immobilizing a revolver-type handgun provides an elastic strap which extends around the hammer. A pin attached to the strap is received within the bore of the muzzle. The device is installed by first wrapping the strap around the hammer, stretchingly elongating the elastic rubber strap and inserting the pin into the muzzle. The strap then retracts, pulling the pin within the muzzle, and preventing the hammer from rearward movement.
Securing devices have also been developed for use with semi-automatic slide-type handguns. One such device provides a locking mechanism which installs in the breech after the slide assembly is fully retracted and held in place by a slide catch. A foot, rotatable by a key-lock mechanism, engages beneath and between cartridge-retaining surfaces at the top of the magazine in order to secure the firearm locking mechanism to the top of the magazine. This device prevents the breech block from closing or the magazine from being removed. Another semi-automatic pistol having a moveable slide includes a built-in safety mechanism which is installed in a rear portion of the slide assembly. Circular apertures in the sidewalls receive a cylindrical body having a semi-circular rear block. Rotation of the body disposes the rear block between the hammer assembly and a rear face of the firing pin to prevent the hammer assembly from being completely received within the slide assembly and contacting the firing pin. The body also presses the firing pin a short distance forward as would normally occur with the manual safety of a semi-automatic pistol were moved to the on position and thereby disabling the operative connection between the trigger assembly and the hammer assembly.
While these devices operate for locking a firearm from firing, there are drawbacks to their use. In particular, some of the prior art devices require handling and manipulation of straps and locks around the trigger of the handgun. This is not in accord with safe firearm practices which preferably instruct a user of a firearm to avoid contacting or handling the trigger unless during an attempt to fire the weapon. Other devices have elastic bands which may stretch and become elongated and thereby defeat the purpose of holding the hammer from being moved pulling the trigger. Still other devices require insertion of components into the bore of the muzzle or the breech block. These devices accordingly engage operating surfaces of the firearm which raise additional risks of damage to the firearm and to the shooter using the firearm.
Many of these devices include a key-and-lock feature in order to lock the securing device in position. The lock prevents the device from being removed by unauthorized persons. The keys provided are distinct, whereby the owner of one security lock may not necessarily be able to unlock and release the securing device owned by another person. For law enforcement personnel and security officers, however this adds an additional key which must be carried with the typical many number of keys law enforcement personnel are expected to carry and have readily available.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an improved gun lock for use with firearms. It is to the provision of such that the present invention is directed.